Liquid-crystal compounds. VIII. Methyl-substituted p-alkyl- and p-alkoxycinnamic acids and their cyanophenyl esters was written by Pavlyuchenko, A. I.;Smirnova, N. I.;Kovshev, E. I.;Titov, V. V.. And the article was included in Zhurnal Organicheskoi Khimii in 1976.SDS of cas: 15777-70-5 This article mentions the following:
P-RC6H4CH:CMeCO2H (I; R = Bu, pentyl, hexyl) were prepared in 18.4-21.1% yield by reaction of RC6H4CHO with MeCHBrCO2Et followed by hydrolysis; their p-cyanophenyl esters were prepared by standard procedures. The p-RC6H4CMe:CHCO2H (II; R = Bu, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl) were prepared in 20.1-25.0% yield by condensation of p-RC6H4COMe with HOAc; their p-cyanophenyl esters were also prepared Six III (R = Bu, heptyl; R1 = 2- and 3-Me, H; R2 = 2- and 3-Me, H) were also prepared by standard methods. In I, II, and III the temperature of clearing was lowered and the mesomorphic interval narrowed with respect to the unsubstituted compounds II have a wider mesomorphic range than p-alkylcinnamic acids. In the experiment, the researchers used many compounds, for example, 4-Hydroxy-3-methylbenzonitrile (cas: 15777-70-5SDS of cas: 15777-70-5).
4-Hydroxy-3-methylbenzonitrile (cas: 15777-70-5) belongs to alcohols. A strong base can deprotonate an alcohol to yield an alkoxide ion (R―O−). For example, sodamide (NaNH2), a very strong base, abstracts the hydrogen atom of an alcohol. Secondary alcohols are easily oxidized without breaking carbon-carbon bonds only as far as the ketone stage. No further oxidation is seen except under very stringent conditions.SDS of cas: 15777-70-5
Referemce:
Alcohol – Wikipedia,
Alcohols – Chemistry LibreTexts